Mechanism for laying shoe sole channels



Nov. 16, 1937. GORDON 2,099,393

MECHANISM FOR LAYING SHOE SOLE CHANNELS Filed Nov. 8, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet 1 fii'ram Gordon Nov. 16,1937.

H. GORDON MECHANISM FOR LAYING SHOE SOLE CHANNELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledNov. 8, 1934 Patented Nov. 16, 1937 MECHANISM FOR LAYING SHOE SOLECHANNELS Hiram Gordon, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Walker T.Dickerson Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio ApplicationNovember 8, 1934, Serial No. 752,086

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved pad for use in the operation ofpressing the stitch-concealing channel strip or flap of a sewed shoeoutsole in smooth cemented engagement with the adjoining surfaces of theshoe outsole.

. In the manufacture of shoes wherein the outsoles thereof are stitchedin secured relationship with the shoe proper, particularly in themanufacture of welt, Littlewayf or McKay shoes, the marginal stitchingof the outsole is concealed and protected, when the shoe is viewed fromthe bottom, by what is known as a channel strip. Thus in shoemanufacture, it is customary in the formation of such shoes and whilethe leather of the outsoles is in a moist or tempered state, to

slit the outsoles horizontally and inwardly from the lower marginal edgethereof along the fore part and shank regions of the outsole to form thechannel strip. This strip is bent upwardly during the shoe formingoperations to permit of the sewing of the marginal portions of theoutsole to the upper portions of a shoe body. Following this sewing orstitching operation, a cement, either of rubber or pyroxylin base, issupplied to the adjoining surfaces of the channel strip and the outsole,after which, the channel strip is stretched and subjected to pressure inorder that it may be adhesively held in united relationship with theadjoining portions of the outsole and so that the bottom of the shoewill present a smooth even and flush appearance with the stitchingentirely concealed.

Heretofore, in the operation of laying such channel strips, that is,adhesively uniting the same with the outsole in stitch-concealingrelationship, it has been customary to perform the operation mainly' bymanual means or by the use of small hand wielded tools, and in my priorco-pending application, Serial No. 678,802, filed July 3, 1933, I haveset forth a method of laying channels wherein the latter, following theapplication of a cement thereto, are placed in a press and subjected tomachine pressures simultaneously over the'full area thereof to improveand expedite the securing of the channel strips or flaps to thecontiguous marginal regions of the outsoles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved elasticpad with which the channel strips are brought into engagement during thepressing or laying operation in a process of the type set forth in'myaforesaid application, the pad comprising the present invention beingformed from an elastic material so that when the shoe is underpressure,the stretching or yielding of the pad will cause the channel strip orflap to be drawn outwardly, bringing it into smooth, taut and unwrinkledengagement with the shoe outsole and in which condition the strip orflap is cemented to said outsole.

It is another object of the invention to form the pad with resilientenlargements contiguous to the portions thereof which engage with thearch or shank regions of the shoe sole, whereby the channel strips inthat particular portion of a shoe may be likewise stretched and evenlyand tightly forced into firm closing engagement with the shoe outsole,to the end of materially improving the appearance of the finished shoeand preventing subsequent separation of the channel strip or flap fromthe outsole.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the pad or cushion comprising thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view disclosing the pad operativelypositioned in a shoe press during the securing of a channel strip orfiap to a shoe outsole; I

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross sectional view of the pad on the planeindicated by the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the plane indicated bythe line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a similar view on the plane indicated by the line V-V of Fig.2;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of the pad comprising thepresent invention;

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectional view on the line VIIVII of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view showing a shoe in operativeposition on the modified form of D Fig. 9 is a detail view of anotherform of clamp adapted for use in connection with the pad;

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view on the plane indicated by the line XXof Fig. 9.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I designatesthe outsole of a shoe 2 which, in the drawings, has been shown inprocess of manufacture and contained on a last 3. In this instance, theshoe is of a welt type and is marginally stitched as at 4 to the welt 5,producing thereby an extension edge 6 on the shoewhich extendsmarginally around the forward and shank regions thereof. The stitchingis concealed by the channel strip or fiap I which constitutes, as usual,an integral part of the outsole, being slit or cut from the latter andthen later secured to the outsole by means of suitable cements such asare well known in the industry or one as set forth in my aforesaidapplication.

In order to force the channel strip into firm unwrinkled engagement withthe outsole, use is made of a press comprising a frame 8 having spaceddepending supporting heads 9 which engage with the lasted shoe over theheel region and fore part thereof. The bottom of the press includes aninflatable cushion i6, which is formed to include an inner air-receivingtube H and an. outer casing 52 of a relatively strong material such asleather. A valved connection l3 extends outwardly through the casing l2from the tube ll permitting of the ready introduction of compressed airinto said tube to effect the inflation of the cushion to pressuresus'ually in excess of 12 to 15 pounds per square inch.

In connection with a press of this type, I have found it necessary toemploy a pad is formed from an elastic material such as rubber. In theform of the invention disclosed in Fig. 1, the pad i4 is constructedfrom a relatively thick, rectangular flat sheet of rubber. That portionof the pad which engages with the forward regions of the outsole issubstantially. flat and is capable of freely conforming to theconfiguration of the engaging portions of the outsole. However, thatportion of the pad which is adapted for engagement with the shankregions of the outsole is transversely thickened and enlarged by theinsertion during manufacture of the pad of a pair of slightly spacedsponge rubber members 55 which are also relatively soft, resilient andyieidable and which are sufliciently spaced relative to each other sothat the intervening thin portions of the pad may stretch or expand,permitting of relative separation of the members l5, during theoperation of pressing a shoe to lay the channel thereof.

The pad id is placed directly on the upper surface of the inflatablecushion l2, and the shoe on which the operations take place is placedwith its outsole directly in engagement with said pad, with the shankregion of the outsole immediately adjacent to the transverseenlargements. l5 of said pad. Following adjustment of the heads 9 tomaintain this order of the pads within the press, the cushion It isinflated to a pressure var-v ying between 12 to 25 pounds per. squareinch. This results in causing the elastic pad to stretch transversely tosome extent so as to place the channel strip i of the shoe Ziunder anoutwardly drawing tension while at the same time. forcing the stripupwardly into cementing. engagement with the adjoining portions of theoutsole. This pressure is maintained for an appropriateinterval of time,varying from 1 to 5 minutes and which depends somewhat on the nature ofthe'cement employed in laying the channel strips, so that when the shoeis subsequently removed from-the press throughdeflation of the cushion:Ill, it will be found that the channel strip will. be in flrm,positively held'and unwrinkled engagement with the adjoining portions ofthe outsole. By the use of this construction and method of procedure,considerable time is saved over the-ordinary hand method of layingchannels and in addition a shoe product of improved appearance andconstruction is presented. The sponge rubber members 15 of the padprovide a very important feature in that they enable the pad to closelyhub and conform to the curvature of the shank regions of a shoe outsolewhich are rather difficult to reach and properly shape, particularly inthe highly arched, narrow shanks of womens shoes.

In the form of my invention disclosed in Fig. 6, the fore part of thepad is provided with a pair of edge engaging clamps l6 which are shapedto conform to the curvature of the extension edge 6 of the shoe outsole.During the pressing operation, as above described, it may be desirable,particularly when the shoe possesses a medium weight outsole, to supportthe upper and outer edges of the outsole so that the latter will beprevented from rolling, curling or wrapping around the shoe upper andthus disturbing the desired flat shape of the extension edges. Toaccomplish this result, the clamps iii are of metallic form and in.cross section are substantially triangular in configuration so that thesame may, with a Q wedge-like action, engage closely simultaneously withthe upper surfaces of the extension edge 6 and also with the adjoiningportions of a shoe upper indicated at ill. The clamps iii aremechanically secured as at 68 to rubber strips id, the latter, in turn,being preferably vulcanized'in connection with the upper surface of thepad ll.

Due to the fact that the clamps iii are spaced relatively to each otherand are directly mounted on the elastic material constituting the pad,the said clamps are permitted to expand relatively in order toaccommodate shoes of varying widths, the elasticity of the pads servingto maintain the clamps in their operative positions as disclosed in Fig.8. If desired, when a pad of the type disclosed in Fig. 1 is employed,separate clamps 22, as disclosed in Fig. 9 may be utilized in order tohold down the extension edges of a shoe during the pressing operation.

Other variations in the construction and method of carrying out myinvention may be resorted to in accordance with the dictates of practicewithout departing from the scope of my invention as the latter has beendefined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a press pad for laying shoe channelscomprising a flexible elastic body formed to closely engage the lowersurfaces of a shoe outsole during a channel pressing operation, one endof said pad being provided with spaced cushions of increased crosssectional area to engage with the shank regions of shoe outsoles, andholding clamps carried by said pad for engagement with the upperextension edges of i a shoe outsole.

2. A press pad for use in laying channel shoe soles comprising aflexible sheet of rubber-containing material formed for engagement withthe lower surfaces of a shoe outsole during a channel pressingoperation, and resiliently separable clamps carried by said pad andconforming to the configuration of the marginal portions of theextension edge of a shoe outsole, said clamps serving to engage with theupper edges of said extensions to prevent curling thereof during thechannel pressing operation.

HIRAM GORDON.

